To begin again
by ToriAna09
Summary: When Kagome's family is killed in battle, who will she turn to when she can't return home? Sometimes beginning again is so much harder than one thinks.
1. Chapter 1

It was finally the last battle between Naraku and our group, finally the ending of a drawn out, four-year battle filled with chaos, heartache, pain and suffering. When I first fell into the well and traveled to this era, I never thought that I would stay this long or find my true family here. Sango and Miroku were the older sister and brother that I never had, but always dreamed of. Shippo was my first son, my first comfort and Inuyasha was my first crush who turned into a great friend that was willing to do anything to protect me.

Today all of that ended, all in what seemed like one split second. My new family was gone, stripped away from me all too soon. My family destroyed Naraku, not me. They all died because of me, because I didn't know how to protect myself and didn't care to learn. Maybe if I had taken the time to train for battle then they would all be alive.

All that matters now is that they died as heroes, Naraku is finally gone from this world, and the most daunting, I'm alone in this world now. Unfortunately, the well sealed for unknown reasons, but if I thought about it, I always knew that it would eventually. All that was left for me was Kouga and his pack.

My plan was to go straight to his den and beg entrance, if I had to. I wasn't the begging type, but I have nowhere to live now and I need a family and the comfort that comes with one. Hopefully, Kouga and his pack could be that family.

I looked around the battlefield for the last time and gathered a possession from each of my friends. I went to Inuyasha's body first and slowly pulled off his subjugation beads from around his neck. I sat down beside his body and started fingering the beads. Against my will tears started to fill my eyes.

"I'm so sorry Inuyasha." I chocked out. "This is all my fault. If I never came to the battle like you asked you would still be alive to yell at me for disobeying your wishes." Words became too hard for me to speak and I simply let myself fall silent and cry away all my fears and guilt. I crawled over to Miroku's body and grabbed his prayer beads from around his hand. I waited until I had some semblance of calm before I spoke.

"Brother, I will miss you so much. Remember when we had that talk about Kouga and you said that if anything were to happen to you guys that I should go straight to Kouga and his pack? Well brother that is my plan. He's is my only chance of having a family again and I'm going to take it, for you and for me."

I moved over to Sango and Shippo last. I started with Shippo first, picking up his small body into my arms. I grabbed a lock of his hair and tied it together with a ribbon that I grabbed from his hand. "My boy." I cried," I love you baby and I will meet you in the heavens when it's my time to leave this earth." Gently I set his body down and looked over to Sango. "Sister, I will miss you like no one else. Thank you for always being there when I needed you the most." I quickly picked up her sword that she always wore into battle, her lucky sword. I strapped Sango's sword to my back and carefully places all of the items into my empty bag. Whispering a quick chant, I sealed the bag.

I stood up, wincing due to the soreness in my body and started to trek towards Kouga's den. As I walked I started thinking about how much my life was going to be changing. Thankfully, I was okay with change, not like I could do anything about it anyways. The closer that I got to Kouga's den the more excited I got to reach my destination. I unconsciously started to walk faster and faster until the inevitable happened … I fell. Landing heavily, I cried out softly in pain. Looking down at my leg, I quickly saw what the problem was. My ankle was swelling which meant that I sprained the poor thing once again.

Sighing, I stood up and leaned against the nearest tree. How was I supposed to get to Kouga's den now if I had a sprained ankle? Gingerly putting my injured foot on the ground, I hissed in pain. "Well, let's think this through." I said to myself, "I obviously can't walk there because it hurts too much to put any pressure on my foot. I'm a little too far away for Kouga to smell me coming, but if I could just get in that range then someone can carry me the rest of the way, but how can I get to the base of that cliff?"

I slid my way down the nearest tree until I was in a comfortable sitting position. "Well, I could just sit here until someone from his hunting party finds me." I paused, "But they may not come this way and I could be stuck waiting here forever." Sighing, I sat in silence.

I don't know how long I sat there thinking about what I should do until my mind just went blank with unknowing. Monks always say to clear your mind until you are thinking of nothing at all because only then will Buddha inspire you with his knowledge. That was the state of mind I was in; completely in a trance-like state filled with nothing – no emotions, no thought process – I was just there.

Distantly I heard something snap to my right. Before I could tell my body to move my head and look, it had already done so, like my body was one step ahead of my brain. Slowly the dense branches twitched and spread until I saw a very familiar face.

"Kagome! What are you doing here by yourself?" asked Kouga, rushing over to me when he saw my swollen appendage, "and what happened to your ankle?"

I giggled nervously, "Well, I tripped." He looked me in the eye and then smiled at whatever he found there.

"Where were you headed?"

"Actually, I was headed to your den" I said quietly, my head bowing down in sadness.

Kouga lifted his hand and curved a finger under my chin, nudging my head up until I was looking into his eyes. "Kagome? What happened?" he looked around, "Where's your pack?"

I sighed and looked away, "I don't know if I can talk about it right now, Kouga. I promise that I will, but I can't right now."

He watched me for a couple more seconds before he nodded. "Alright, I'm glad you're coming to live with my pack." He said with a smile. "Let's get you out of here."

Kouga picked me up into his arms and raced up the cliff, through the waterfall and into his den.

Kouga's den was more of a chain of caves. There was the main cave which only the males were allowed in, for protection, and then past the main cave was the rest of the 'housing' if you wanted to call it that. Somewhere in that maze there was also a bath house for men and a bath house for women and children. Each couple had their own room which was covered with fur for privacy.

None of the children slept in their parents den, there was a special cave for the children, which was located in the middle of the den. Kouga explained to me one time that there were a group of 5 female wolves that would keep watch over all of the children during the day and then 5 different females would take their spots at night.

Outside of the den there was farming land, hunting land and the river that went through the area. The females would grow the crops, the males would hunt and the laundry was done in the river.

Kouga carried me through the main den into his private chamber and set me down on his bed.

"I'll go get the healer to look at your ankle."

Before I could protest and say that I was fine, Kouga had already left the room at a steady jog. I stared at the doorway for a little while and figured that it could take awhile for him to come back. I looked around at his room and noticed that it only had the needed things and nothing that personalize it. The bed was covered in pelts for blankets; there was a dresser of sorts for his clothing and a chest at the foot of his bed. The whole room had the air of wealth, which surprised me since the lack of furniture and possessions was staggering.

Getting up from the bed, I slowly made my way over to a small doorway at the back of the room and looked inside. The area looked almost like a little kitchenette and past that through another doorway looked like a large private hot spring.

"Kagome?" startled I spun around, loosing my balance and slammed right into Kouga's arms. I slowly looked up, a blush spreading across my cheeks.

"You okay?" Kouga whispered, smiling down at me with a glimmer of humor sparkling in his eyes.

My blushed darkened, "Yes I'm fine." He nodded once, picked me up and deposited me on his bed so the healer, who I had not noticed until now, could look at my swollen, red ankle.

"I have been informed that you name is Kagome. I am Amaya, the healer for this pack." She quickly bowed to me and moved closer to take a look at my sprain. Her gentle hands grasped hold of my foot and brought it closer to her face for a better look. My ankle had started to bruise to a deep purple and blue color. I tried to pull my foot out of her grasp when I felt the pain of the sprain, but she held my foot harder and leveled a gentle glare in my direction.

"Hold still Kagome. Let me see." Amaya felt my ankle gently checking for any breaks and nodded her head in satisfaction. "Looks like a simple sprain that some bandages will cure. I'll just wrap it up in a jiffy and you'll be on your way in a couple of days." Amaya quickly wrapped my ankle up in some thick bandages and gathered her stuff to leave.

"Thank you. I can be such a klutz sometimes." I told her with an easy smile.

"You're welcome dear. Now I want you to take it easy for the rest of today and then starting tomorrow if you want to go somewhere you can, as long as someone carries you there." Amaya said with a wink. She quickly exited the room and left me alone to talk with Kouga.

"You look tired." He said, "Why don't you lie down on my bed and take a nap until it's time for our evening meal."

"That sounds like a good idea. I can barely keep my eyes open, but would you mind staying?" I asked, "At least until I fall asleep?"

"Of course Kagome."

Kouga gently slid me over across the bed and tucked the furs in around me. He laid down next to me and wrapped his arm around my waist.

"Good night Kagome. I will wake you when it is time to eat."

Before I could say goodnight, I had already fallen into a light slumber.

- - - Author's note - - -

Well there is my first chapter. It was a whole lot harder than I thought to get it out. If you notice any misspelled words please let me know.

Just so you know the name Amaya means "night rain" I thought is seemed … pretty

I'm hoping to get my next chapter out next weekend, but I won't promise anything.


	2. Chapter 2

It seemed like I didn't get any sleep at all before my mind was dropped into a nightmare. Well, it was more of a memory rather than a nightmare. My mind was replaying the final battle, but it was happening so fast, almost like I pressed fast forward on a hidden remote. I watched all my friends die a second horrible death, but something was not right. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but it seemed like none of Naraku's minions were perishing.

"That's not right." I whispered, "They are supposed to be dropping like flies." As soon as my voice sounded everything shattered into a thousand pieces and I was left in darkness.

"You will die by my hand when I return."

I spun around expecting to see an unknown male standing behind me, but all I saw was the pitch black atmosphere. I frowned. I knew I heard someone speak behind me, speaking right into my ear so I would hear them clearly.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Who are you?" the voice said mockingly in return. "You know who I am miko." He sneered, "You are the one who destroyed my body, but not my soul. No, not my soul. I will haunt your dreams, miko, as repayment for your deeds."

His voice sounded so eerily familiar that it sent shivers down my spine. His voice sounded in my ear on again, the blackness seeming to suffocate me, "Watch your back wench because no matter where you are, I will be with you."

With a startled breath I wrenched awake, my body shaking in fear. Slowly I started to recognize my surroundings, but I couldn't seem to calm down enough to stop my shaking. Wrapping my arms around myself, I slid out of bed and gingerly made my way to the doorway, careful not to put a lot of pressure on my foot.

Pushing away the heavy furs was a task that was surprisingly difficult. It seemed as if my nightmare completely drained me of energy. When I accomplished my task, I poked my head outside. I knew that Amaya said that I would need some assistance moving around, but I knew that if I was careful that I could handle it on my own.

I crept out of the room and started exploring the den. It was slow going, painfully slow, but I enjoyed myself. I worked my way around until the final area I entered was the main cave. At this time I was completely lost, not knowing where Kouga's den was, but I wasn't worried. I made my way into the main cave and noticed a couple of familiar faces sitting around.

The men were sitting in small groups, each doing a task. Everything was organized. For each task there was a specific place to do it. In the corner closest to me, men were sitting down and eating their evening meal while they talked of today's hunt. In another corner, fortunately the one farthest away, was where all the game was skinned and hung so the women could then use the skin to make clothing.

I finally looked towards the middle of the room and saw Kouga with, I'm guessing, his 'higher ups'. Instead of walking up to meet Kouga, I stayed in the doorway and watched him, waiting for him to look up and notice me. Kouga seemed to be very engrossed in a, what seemed to be, important conversation.

Several of the men were already staring at me, but I paid them no mind. I continued waiting until finally, one of Kouga's companions looked up and noticed me. He shoved his elbow into Kouga's ribs to get his attention and then pointed over at me. I plastered a smile on my face quickly, before Kouga looked up.

"Kagome!" he exclaimed, "What are you doing out of bed?"

Then den when quiet as all the men watched for Kouga's reaction to a female in the main cave. Kouga quickly strolled over to me and put his arm around my waist to gently guide me out of the room. He took most of my weight onto himself as he led me into the other main den, which I somehow missed on my exploration.

"Kagome, with you being here, there are several things that you will have to learn. One of the most important ones is it stay out of the male's main den. Females are not allowed in that room."

I started to protest, but Kouga interrupted, "I know that you like to do what you want, and that is fine, but to keep peace and safety in my clan, there are certain rules that even I must follow." He gently set me down next to a group of female wolves, "This is the den that anyone can come into."

I scowled at him, "I was trying to find you!" Which wasn't exactly a lie; it was only a half-lie.

He smiled down at me before he took a seat next to me. "If you can't find me or I'm in the main den, ask any passing male to come get me and they will. They know that you are going to be their sister soon, so they should have no problem helping you out."

The groups of women scattered around the room were quietly listening in on what was being said, it almost unnerved me to know that everyone knew what was being said…not that it was important. "What do you mean that I will be their sister soon?"

"You will be everyone's sister soon. I'm holding a celebration of sorts to welcome you into our pack. It won't happen until your ankle is better, but it is a rather simple ceremony."

As I listened to Kouga, my eyes started to tear up. He was making sure that no matter where I went that I always have a place to come home to. I turned my head to the side to hide my tears, though I knew that everyone in the den could smell my tears.

"Thank you." I whispered,"That means more than anything right now."

"There is nothing to thank." He gestured to the woman next to him, "This is Harumi and she is the next highest female under the Lady of the pack."

He turned his attention on Harumi, "I want you to show Kagome around, so she is comfortable around the den and I want you to introduce her to the other females."

Looking at Harumi I noticed how well she fit her name. She was indeed a 'spring beauty'. Pale blond hair rippled down her back in waves, framing a smooth face. Her eyes were a startling forest green. The only thing that marred her perfect features was the scowl she shot at me.

"You can't expect me to show her around like some lost puppy, Lord Kouga. Just because she is your pet does not mean she has to be ours too. She can look after herself." Harumi huffed and turned her back at me.

Anger started swelling in my body and my aura reacted defensively to the insult. Distantly, I heard Kouga start up a low menacing growl, but before he tried to defend me, I sent out my power to electrify her. I gave he enough of a charge for it to hurt for a while, but not too much to where it would show damage.

Harumi let out a sharp yelp of pain and glared at me.

"Kagome is to be part of this pack Harumi and you will treat her as such." I quickly glanced over at Kouga and saw his face contorted into a dark mask. "You will watch how you talk to her."

I knew right then, from that instant, that I would have problems with Harumi and that they would not stop until I showed her that I was not something to mess with.

---Author's Note---

So we are at the end of my second chapter. I'm relieved to find out that the more I write the easier it gets.

I just want to give a shout out to swimmer14 and lil-wolf-gurrl for adding me to their favorites list and to tigerangel for adding my story to their story alerts!


	3. Chapter 3

Surprisingly enough, I was wrong about Harumi. Granted she ignored me whenever she saw me and I avoided her to a hilarious extent, but things were rather peaceful in my new home.

Kouga rescheduled the welcoming ceremony for tonight and needless to say, I'm completely petrified. He ordered a female wolf to help me get ready for tonight and I have to say that I'm very pleased with his decision.

Miyaki is one of the friendliest wolf demons that I've ever met. Her long golden-brown hair showed her kind nature and her gorgeous chocolate-brown eyes sparkled with mischief. She had a great sense of humor that only I seemed to understand.

"Kagome? It's time to get dressed for the ceremony. The kimono that Kouga chose for you is waiting on your bed." Miyaki gently took my arm and led me to my room.

"I know that you're probably nervous about tonight, but there is really nothing to worry about." She smiled at me in a reassuring way. I tried to smile back, but it came out as a nervous grimace.

Miyaki and I walked into my new room that Kouga had prepared for me and I looked over to the bed.

On the bed lied an expensive formal kimono. The cream and light pink looked absolutely delicious together. Sakura blossoms were scattered all over the outer kimono and on the collar of the inner kimono.

"Oh Miyaki! It's perfect." I gasped, gently picking the kimono up for a better inspection. "I'm almost too afraid to wear it."

Miyaji smiled at me knowingly, "Kouga wanted you to be the prettiest woman at the ceremony, the center of attention." She paused, "Here, let me help you." She said as she watched me struggle into the inner kimono.

"Now Kouga will be your escort tonight and the wolf clans elder will be doing the ceremony. Someone will volunteer to bind you to the clan. Normally, that would be Kouga's job since he is the Lord of this clan, but since he is going to be with you for the evening someone will be taking his place."

Miyaki kept explaining the ceremony to me as she finished helping me into the kimono and quickly pulled my hair into an elegant knot.

Miyaki stepped back to look at her work. "I think you're done." She said with a sigh, "You look wonderful."

I slowly stood up and moved over to the nearby mirror to see Miyaki's creation. I gasped. I could hardly recognize myself.

Kouga poked his head through the door. "Is she ready?" he asked Miyaki.

Kouga looked over at me and froze. Slowly he walked into the room, over to me, and took my hands into his.

"Kagome, you look stunning. I knew you would be a vision in pink."

I felt my face heat up and shyly looked away. No man had ever made me feel this way before, like I was beautiful. It was surprisingly nice to have this type of attention.

Kouga grinned and hooked my arm into his.

"Let's get this ceremony over with so we can get to the feast, hmm?" he asked.

"Is that all you can think of Kouga-kun?" I teased, "Food?"

He grinned, "Of course not Kagome. I'm looking forward to dancing with the most beautiful woman in the den." He winked at me when he saw my blush and whisked me out of the room towards the main den.

"I can feel your nerves Kagome. Tell me what's wrong." He said.

I stopped walking and looked up at him. "Miyaki told me what would happen tonight, but I'm still nervous and anxious. What if the elder doesn't think I'm worthy enough to join the clan? What if someone doesn't want me here and challenges me? I'm not a very good fighter Kouga-kun." By this time my eyes were filled with tears. I just wanted to belong somewhere, but everyone died because of me. Because I didn't know how to fight and here I am again facing the possibility of having to fight someone for the right to join the clan.

Kouga smiled down at me and started to explain away my worries all in four little words, "You won't be alone."

---Author's note---

As you have probably notice this update is a week late. My home computer has a virus and it wont let me on the internet, so it has to be fixed. I don't know when it will be fixed (my dad has to fix it) , but in the mean time I will write on paper so I have the work done.

IMPORTANT NOTE: I have joined the U.S.A.F. (United States Air Force) and I'm going to be leaving for bootcamp soon. I'm not sure when, but it can be at anytime. I am not stopping this story, but bootcamp is 2 months long, not to mention that I will have to get a laptop. So I will not be posting for awhile, but I promise I will continue the story someday.

SHOUT OUTS:

People to put me on their story alerts: Kouga's older woman, Someone-Hidden-In-The-Dark, chichiri's angel

People to put me on their favorite story list: opera Dreamer, Someone-Hidden-In-The-Dark

People to put me on their favorite author list: Someone-Hidden-In-The-Dark


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